10. Do Your Research

Alright, so you want a tattoo. Quite honestly, you've always wanted a tattoo. So what do you do? Do you run out to the closest shop and get inked up? No, you do your research. First things first, you need to find the right shop and the right artist. When it comes to choosing the right shop, you have to make sure it's clean. You wouldn't want to get surgery in a scummy basement whose worst enemy is a black light, so why get a tattoo there?

The cleaner the shop, the less risk you run of getting a skin infection — or worse. Next up is your artist. Look at their portfolios, and find a style that you like, and that fits your idea. Don't settle on the first one you see; do your research and check out different shops until you find the artist who's right for you.